Cough with prolonged phlegm: Should not be subjective

Cough with prolonged sputum is a symptom of many respiratory diseases that occur at any age but for the elderly (NCT) it is necessary to take precautions against long-term cough of dangerous nature.

Cough is a beneficial reflex of the body. Because coughing helps push dust, foreign bodies and harmful agents into the respiratory tract through the nose. A productive cough occurs when the airway has secretions produced and mixed with impurities. Cough helps clean the lungs, remove sputum, secretions and foreign objects from the airway.

Sputum, also known as phlegm , is a secretion of the respiratory tract consisting of mucus, erythrocytes, pus and toxic substances entering the upper respiratory tract (microorganisms, dust .). These substances are secreted from bronchial air, alveoli, throat, frontal sinuses, nasal cavities. The volume of phlegm secretions is about 100ml / 24 hours and will be swallowed or flow through the esophagus and then excreted by the digestive tract. Sputum can be the result of many respiratory causes such as sore throat, nose, larynx, windpipe, lung abscess, pulmonary infarction, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, bronchiectasis, emphysema, Chronic obstructive pneumonia . So, there are sputum such as phlegm sputum, mucus sputum, purulent sputum, bloody sputum, legume sputum (pulmonary tuberculosis).

A productive cough can be acute or chronic. Usually, cough and sputum diseases that last more than 3 weeks are chronic.

Acute illness

Sputum cough is found in the EL in acute diseases such as colds, acute nasopharyngitis, acute tonsillitis or acute sinusitis, acute inflammation of the airways. If acute sinusitis also causes coughing and sputum, it is because when sinusitis, the inflamed sinuses are blocked, accompanied by a stuffy nose, the mucus secreting will flow to the back of the throat. During the day, these mucus is spread by the sick person or drifting down the gastrointestinal tract. But at night, mucus is easily deposited in the throat and stimulates coughing. Nasal congestion caused by sinusitis makes it easier for people with sleep to breathe through their mouths, so the throat is very dry, irritable and coughs at night.

Prolonged cough and sputum need to be examined, not subjective to disregard.

Lower respiratory disease

Some chronic lower respiratory diseases cause coughing, prolonged sputum like chronic bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis is characterized by the formation of a lot of mucus in the bronchi. The typical symptom of this disease is coughing sputum or continuous sputum and the total time of coughing up sputum for at least 90 days in 1 year and at least 2 consecutive years. Sputum is usually opalescent, later yellow; mucus sputum or pus in the acute phase. Sputum of chronic bronchitis often spits a lot in the morning with small amounts. Sputum is usually opalescent, especially, it can be yellow (maybe because of the coccidiosis, especially yellow staph produces yellow pigment) or blue (can be caused by green pus bacillus, by because this bacillus produces a blue pigment).

Bronchodilator disease

One of the diseases that causes cough and sputum lasts for a long time. This is a consequence of disease caused by acute and chronic bronchitis that is untreated. Long-term cough, the most excretion is at night because the more stagnant secretions (sputum) occur, the more coughing. Bronchodilator can lead to some bad consequences for patients, cases of bronchial dilatation exist for a long time, not detected early and properly treated, bronchiectasis can spread after many episodes. recurrent superinfection, pulmonary pressure or causing bronchial pus, pus pus, pleural pus, pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema and still cause cough and sputum. Bronchodilator causes a lot of cough in the morning when it wakes up, sputum is milky like pus often close into molds.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

A long-lasting, coughing and coughing disease is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Patients often cough sputum in white, often in people who have a habit of smoking, work long time in a hazardous environment. The disease can be confused with asthma. Asthma causes symptoms of dyspnea with a dry cough and a lot of phlegm (due to heavy secretions), when sputum is sputum, asthma can be reduced. Sputum is usually white and sticky. It should also be noted that emphysema is a factor in the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or it can be called a complication of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that causes emphysema. Emphysema causes cough and has a lot of sputum and lasts, the disease progresses and worsens if the treatment is not correct and not timely.

Tuberculosis

Another disease that causes coughing and prolonged sputum is tuberculosis. Most pulmonary tuberculosis often causes coughing, sputum, opaque white color such as milk or rice water, sometimes with bright red blood. In addition, there may be cough and prolonged sputum such as pulmonary abscess. If you have a pulmonary abscess, a strong cough can cause pus and often appear in waves.

Characteristics are pus with very unpleasant odor, especially lung abscess due to golden staphylococcus (S.aureus). The disease causes severe damage to the lungs and often requires surgery to remove the abscess. Or cough and prolonged sputum are pneumonia.

The disease usually has yellow sputum, rust color, accompanied by infection syndrome, chest pain in the inflamed lung area. This disease is very dangerous and can lead to respiratory failure and death, but it can be cured if detected early.

Advice of physicians

As mentioned above, long-term cough and sputum is a manifestation of many respiratory diseases. Therefore, when suspected of having the most respiratory disease with prolonged cough and sputum need to be examined, should not be subjective to despise, preferably respiratory examination or general internal to determine the disease, on the muscle The facility will have the doctor prescribe the right and positive treatment to get rid of the disease quickly.

Patients or family members should not self-diagnose the disease and should not buy medicine for treatment without medical expertise. When properly diagnosed, it is necessary to actively treat according to the doctor's appointment for medical examination (prescription) or medication (if hospitalized inpatient treatment).

In addition to taking drugs, elderly people need regular physical activity by different measures depending on each person's condition. In order for the respiratory apparatus to work well, practice breathing, deep breathing and regular breathing. Elderly people should not smoke, the less contaminated living environment is dust and smoke.